


meet my mother

by ariatl



Series: my only reason [3]
Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: F/M, slight drug mention, slight self harm mention, this is really long and kylie is a nervous wreck, when you go to meet the bf's family only to have a breakdown infront of his mom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-12
Updated: 2017-05-12
Packaged: 2018-10-30 21:22:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,361
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10885194
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ariatl/pseuds/ariatl
Summary: thanks to hinataelyontoph for pointing out that sahuna showed everyone kylie's nudes lmao





	1. Chapter 1

Kylie sat white-knuckled in her seat on the shuttle, her unseeing eyes wide and focused on some point on the floor. With every rock and sharp turn, she idly bumped against Jaal who was sat beside her, his hand resting on her back.  
  
"Darling one?" He started, gently patting her back, bringing her back to reality. "I lost you for a moment, there."  
  
She chuckled breathlessly, leaning back into his hand and sighing. "I'm super nervous, Jaal." She cleared her throat. "I mean, to meet your mom. What if she hates my guts?"

Jaal beamed, leaning against her, resting his hand behind her head. "She _already_ likes you, my love. You forget that I all but gush about you in my emails to her." He laughed softly. "There is no need to be nervous."  
  
"Yeah, but in your emails, you're literally reciting poetry whenever you talk about me." Kylie grinned as she fumbled with her thumbs. "You make me sound like some kinda goddess when I'm far from that."  
  
He huffed, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "You _are_ some kind of goddess, dearest. Who else can take down a Remnant Architect then pose on its corpse after for a picture?" He grinned. "My true mother particularly loved that one."  
  
She rolled her eyes, giving him a playful shove. "God," she grumbled under her breath for a minute, mulling over his words. "I guess only I can, then." A pause, eyes wide. "Wait, you sent that picture to your mother?"  
  
"She has been asking for pictures of you for weeks now. I had to send her something to satisfy her requests, my dear."  
  
Her blue eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What else have you sent her? You're making it sound like you sent more than one."  
  
Jaal hummed, a slow grin spreading across his face. "Ah. I also sent her those pictures you sent to me when I was stationed on Voeld for a week."  
  
"Oh..." Realization dawned on her, her dark skin nearly burning from embarrassment. " _Oh_. Oh, my God. She's seen me _naked?!_ "  
  
"Does it matter?" His brows furrowed then his eyes widened, suddenly worried he crossed some unspoken boundary for her people.  
  
" _Yes!_ Yes, it matters!"  
  
"I... She thought you were absolutely dazzling, so achingly beautiful! She said she could see why I was enraptured by you, my darling one." He rushed into the explanation, hands vividly motioning as he spoke.  
  
She buried her face in her hands, cheeks burning so hot it hurt. "I can't believe you sent my nudes to her, Jaal."  
  
He grumbled, moving to stand up, taking her hand to bring her with him. "I... I am sorry. Either way, we are here, now."  
  
"I feel like I'm going to throw up." Her hand pressed against her stomach.  
  
His hand pressed against hers. "You will be fine, darling one."

* * *

 They walked down a stone-paved walkway, hand in hand, thick tangles of tree branches and deep green vines tangled together and hanging everywhere, all kinds of patches of flowers and trees and the likes scattered around. "I'm still not over how beautiful Havarl is."  
  
"It is beautiful, isn't it?" He hummed happily, his thumb rubbing soft little circles over hers. "I am proud to have this as my birthplace, as are many angara who are from here."  
  
"Yeah, I'm glad you were born here, too. Couldn't imagine you having an accent like those on Voeld and Aya." She quipped, a cocky grin on her face. They burst into laughter together, the various chittering and chirping from insects and creatures murmuring along.  
  
After a few more minutes of them sight-seeing, they began to pass by large buildings clustered close together, the two coming to a stop at the one that seemed as though it were the biggest. "Oh, boy." She muttered, swallowing thickly.  
  
"Are you..." Jaal hesitated, searching for that one idiom Liam taught him, "Are you _chickering_ out, Kylie?" He grinned, beaming, obviously proud of himself.  
  
Kylie grinned, hard, staring at him incredulously, desperately holding back the laugh that threatened to burst out. _Let him have this, girl. He worked so hard._ "...Yeah, I think I'm about to _'chicker'_ out, Jaal."  
  
He eyed her grin, hesitating, before his face fell and he sighed. "I used it wrong?"  
  
"It's actually 'chickening out', but it's okay."  
  
"Shit."  
  
She giggled, patting his back.  
  
Jaal tapped his omnitool, opening the doors to his house, when a small blue blur flashed by them, only to immediately be scooped up by Jaal in one fluid motion. "And where do you think you are going, little one?"  
  
The small blue angaran child whined a high-pitch whine, pushing against Jaal's arms. "I have to go check on Lisel!"  
  
"Lisel?" He asked, pinning the girl against his chest in a tight hug.  
  
"My pet kaerkyn! She ran away last night and I -" She started before her eyes came to rest on Kylie. Her eyes grew wide, the girl immediately falling silent.  
  
Kylie gave her a small wave, smiling nervously. "Hey there."  
  
"This is my niece, Aisli." He gave the girl another squeeze. "Aisli, this is my _taoshay_ , Kylie. She is a human." Aisli wiggled in his arms until she wrapped them around his neck, all the while staring quietly at Kylie.  
  
"It's so nice to meet you, Aisli." Kylie smiled all too big, taking a small step towards Jaal, testing to see if the girl would lean away.  
  
She did not. "Your _taoshay_ is an alien, Uncle Jaal?"  
  
"Yes, she is. But to her, we are aliens as well. You do not wish to be rude, do you?"  
  
"No! It's good to meet you too, Ky... Lie?"  
  
"Yep! That's how you say it."  
  
"...It's pretty." Aisli mumbled after a moment of silence, her cheeks flushed a soft purple, looking towards the ground.  
  
"Aw, thank you! Your name is really pretty, too. Can I hug you?"  
  
Aisli stared at Jaal for a drawn out moment, brows furrowed in silent protest. He slowly nodded his head at her until she gave in and nodded hers as well, almost stumbling as he sat her down. She took a hesitant step towards Kylie until the taller woman reached down to pick her up, hugging her tight.  
  
The motion earned her a happy giggle from the girl as she lowered her to her feet, the biggest smile on her small face. "You give good hugs." She seemed bashful, twiddling her thumbs and staring at the ground, face burning.  
  
"You're so sweet!" Kylie beamed, smoothing a hand through her own super curly hair, slightly jittery with nerves.  
  
"And you're pretty, too," Aisli grumbled before promptly taking off, leaving the two in the dust, eyes never leaving the ground.  
  
"She's _adorable_ , Jaal. I love her already."  
  
"I know." He hummed, wrapping an arm around her waist as he led her inside. "She has that effect on others, I have noticed."  
  
"A future heartbreaker in the making," Kylie chuckled, wrapping her arm around him, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek. "Thanks to your influence, no doubt."  
  
He laughed, loud and booming, as they moved through what seemed to be the parlor of the house. The faint sound of voices mingled in conversation, overlapping and filling the house, which they could hear through the doors ahead. It made her stomach flip around and do all kinds of weird moves.  
  
Before Jaal could move to open the doors, they swooshed open and two older angaran women walked out. They stopped in their tracks at the sight of the two, one gasping and the other grinning hard at the sight. "Jaal!" One beamed, her skin tinted a soft pink, arms outstretched to hug him. "You finally brought her here? I was wondering when I was going to meet the newest addition to the family!"  
  
Kylie shot a curious glance at Jaal, feeling like she was missing something, only for him to flush a soft purple, turning his head away with an all too bashful smile. The other woman, a more faintly green, scoffed. "You'll scare the poor girl away with that talk, Lalani. She's human, not angaran, remember? I'm Parai."  
  
Parai held out her fist and Kylie immediately reached forward, effortlessly falling into the standard angaran greeting _(thanks to Jaal's help and a lot of practice)_. Then, Parai pulled her into a hug, tight and wonderful. "I am overwhelmed to finally meet you, Kylie."  
  
Kylie melted into the hug, the happiest smile on her face. She felt like she was floating, like she was finally meeting the family she's always wanted. "You already know my name?"  
  
Lalani laughed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Sahuna, Jaal's true mother, has shared everything he has sent about you with everyone. She is truly excited to meet you face to face." She pulled Kylie into a hug next, right after Parai finally let go of her. "Give me a chance to hug her, Parai! _Stars_."  
  
Jaal stood by, watching with what she could only describe as overwhelming adoration, his pupils blown and a strange look on his face. _Wonder what he's feeling, seeing me hugging his family? At least he looks happy about it._  
  
"Now," Lalani started as she pulled away, gently putting her hands on Kylie's shoulders and turning her to face the door. "Go visit the poor woman before she explodes with impatience. She's only been waiting to meet you for months now!"  
  
As they walked through the doors into the main living room, Kylie's jaw fell open, overwhelmed by the sheer number of people flittering through it. Angara scattered in every corner, some weaving through the center of the room, some clad together at tables and couches. "Everyone," Jaal started from beside her, a beaming smile on his face as his hand laced with hers, "This is Kylie."  
  
Voices overlapped as they all rushed to greet her, many reaching for her hand or shoulder as they continued their trek through the room, nearly all too much for Kylie to process. "...Hi," She managed to most, but to others she simply stared at them, bewildered. _"You bringing someone special for us to meet?"_  
  
Her cheeks burned at the comment and when she looked at Jaal, she could see the telltale sign of a deep purple flush dancing across his face. He was blushing, too. "Possibly," He grumbled low, mostly only for her to hear, and she felt her stomach turn.  
  
Jaal led her to the side of the room right to another set of closed doors and took her hands in his. "My mother, Sahuna, is waiting inside for you, my dear." He pulled her close to give her a deep kiss, taking a few moments before pulling back to admire her, thumbs ghosting across her cheeks. "You can go ahead without me. I wish to catch up with my family for a bit while you two talk."  
  
"You're not coming?" She asked in disbelief, hands on his jaw. "What if I don't know what to say?"  
  
He laughed, pulling her into a hug, raising his hand to trace a circle on her lower back. "Relax, darling one. My mother loves to talk. I hardly doubt there will be one moment of silence between you."  
  
"I feel like I'm gonna be sick."  
  
Jaal chuckled, shaking his head as he turned her to the door and lifted his wrist. He opened it for her, gently pressing against her lower back to get her to take a step inside. "You will be fine, I promise. She loves you, Kylie."  
  
Kylie begrudgingly stepped inside the door, looking over her shoulder to shoot him a dirty look as he smirked and turned away, the doors sliding shut.  
  
She nervously took a few faltering steps forward before realizing the doors led to a balcony overlooking one of the most beautiful parts of Havarl, all jungles and vines and strange creatures flying.  
  
Next to the metal railing along the edge of the balcony was a table and two chairs set across from each other, the table decorated with many different vases and bouquets of all kinds of flowers. A woman was leaned back in one of the chairs, caught up in a datapad.  
  
The sound of the doors caused the woman to look up and she all but bounced out of her chair, erupting into a big, happy smile as the datapad fell onto the table. "Oh!" She gasped, rushing up to pull Kylie into the tightest hug of her life. Kylie's arms snaked up to hug her with just as much ferocity. "It is so good to finally meet you, darling!"  
  
"It's good to meet you too!" Her voice wavered, her breath caught in her throat.  
  
"You're all Jaal talks about anymore, you know." Sahuna beamed, taking her hand and leading her to the table. "You're just as beautiful in person as you are in pictures!" Her eyes sized her up, trailing from her head to her feet, then landing on her eyes. "And you have the most loveliest eyes I have ever seen."  
  
Kylie flushed deeply, sitting down in the chair. She reached up to run a shaky hand through her hair, swallowing thickly. "I - Aww, thanks! I got them from my mom." She managed lamely, desperately attempting to swallow her anxiety away. "But, about those pictures... I'm so sorry. I didn't know he'd show them to you."  
  
Sahuna smiled, clasping her hands together and leaning forward on the table. "I'm not easily embarrassed, dear. I am so thankful the two of you have made your relationship official. I still remember the email I got from Jaal that night; He was so happy, I could almost feel it through his words."  
  
"Yeah," Kylie smiled, crossing her legs under the table and leaning back, hands folded in her lap. "He makes me so happy, you don't even know."  
  
"Oh, I have an idea of it." Sahuna sighed happily. "His letters are always so sweet. He reveres you, almost. Even if I steer the subject away from you, he always finds a way to bring it right back to you. It's endearing, really."  
  
Kylie stared down at her hands, the biggest smile on her face. "He's so sweet, really. I don't know how to handle it sometimes. I'm not used to someone being so... Free with their affections, you know?"  
  
Sahuna gasped. "Have you not had previous partners before?"  
  
"I have, it's just... Humans aren't the best at expressing themselves. We're taught not to show too much emotion. And the few relationships I've been in weren't... The healthiest, really."  
  
The angara's brows furrowed, worry dancing across her face. "You have had..." She paused, searching for the right word. "Bad relationships before, if you don't mind my asking?"  
  
"You're good." Kylie hesitated, unsure how far she wanted to go today. "I... Was in a pretty nasty relationship before I came here." She pointed to the scratch mark across her right cheek, three lines etched into her skin from the edge of her right eye across her nose. "Ex-boyfriend gave me this as a parting gift."  
  
Sahuna's jaw dropped, reaching out to ghost her fingers along the lines of the scar, her bioelectricity causing Kylie's eyes to fall shut from the sensation. "Did you kill him?"  
  
She laughed, not expecting that question to come out of her mouth. "Just about. Then I dumped his ass."  
  
"Good." Sahuna paused, carefully considering her next question. "Boyfriend?" She asked after a few seconds, bringing a finger to her chin. "That is what humans call their partners?"  
  
"Yeah, boyfriend and girlfriend, usually. Sometimes just partner, or spouse."  
  
"I see. And what of your childhood? How did you grow up and where?"  
  
Kylie smiled. This woman didn't hold back, did she? She absentmindedly chewed on her bottom lip, before taking in a deep breath. "I grew up on what we called the Citadel. It's a lot like the Nexus we have now, just bigger." She grinned. "I got into alotta trouble as a kid. This one C-Sec guard, which is basically a security guard if you were wondering, always brought me back. A turian. Really cute." She paused, absentmindedly smiling as she remembered his face. "His name was Garrus. I had the biggest crush on him growing up."  
  
Sahuna laughed, leaning back in her chair and crossing one knee over the over. "That's adorable! The trouble you got in, was it bad, or just usual childish things?"  
  
"Usual childish things. Tried to jump into one of the ponds on the Presidium. _Freezing_ cold water, and I was on house arrest for three days." They laughed together, Kylie's nose crinkling in the cutest way. "Tried to convince my twin brother, James, to climb up the walls of a docking bay. That was bad."  
  
"Are you close to your family?"  
  
"Uh..." Kylie hesitated, brows furrowing. _Great. Should've figured she'd ask._ "I'm really close to my twin brother, and I was close to my mom, but she died from an illness before we came here."  
  
Sahuna gasped, standing up to reach across the table for her hands. "Darling, I am... So, so sorry." She moved from the table to pull her in for another crushing hug, the motion bringing tears to Kylie's eyes. "If it is any consolation, I consider you my child, now."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yes. You are in a serious relationship with my son, and while that reigns true, you are officially my daughter."  
  
"Seriously? Can I call you mom?"  
  
Sahuna laughed. "Of course. I would prefer it, actually."  
  
They sat back down as Kylie wiped at her eyes, desperate to keep herself together. _No crying in front of the boyfriend's family just yet, Kylie._ She took a deep, shuddering breath. "Came here with my brother and my dad. Dad died right after we woke up from cryo, and James..." She paused, clasping her hands together on the table. "He's in a medically-induced coma. Complications from cryo."  
  
Sahuna shook her head. "It seems you just keep getting pushed right back down just when you get back up, my dear." _I can see where Jaal gets his excessive use of nicknames from._ "I'm terribly sorry."  
  
"It's okay. I have Jaal now, at least. And my Tempest oddball crew."  
  
"And me, as well as Jaal's family."  
  
"Yeah, hard to believe."  
  
"What of you before you came here? Did you work?"  
  
"This is gonna get pretty heavy, mom. You sure you wanna get into it?" Kylie asked, more for her own sake than Sahuna's.  
  
"I would like to hear it, if you want. If you do not wish to, that's fine as well. I have a list of questions I can pick from instead." _Wow._  
  
"I had a really shitty relationship with my dad. He wasn't the best, and he didn't treat my family like he should. As soon as I turned eighteen, I left home." She swallowed thickly. "I went to Omega, which is a lot like Kadara, here. I started work dancing at a nightclub, and I had a second job as a guard for the leader there, Aria. A lot like Sloane, just... Not."  
  
"Dancing at a nightclub?"  
  
"Fancy term for a stripper." She wanted to scream. _She's gonna hate me._  
  
"I see." No sign of judgment. _I don't deserve her._  
  
"That's where shitty boyfriend came in. He was a bouncer at that club, Afterlife. I was totally in love with him, but he got me doing... Not good things." Her fingers skimmed up her arms. "I was doing all kinds of drugs, binging on alcohol and the likes. I had really bad addiction problems, and he only made them worse."  
  
Sahuna's eyes dropped to Kylie's forearms, eyes observing the intricate tattoos flowing across her skin. "I..." She shakily sighed, trying to steady herself. "I was really self-destructive, too. Had a lot of problems dealing with my emotions, so I took it out on myself. Got these tattoos to cover them, hide the pain I went through." Her finger ghosted over an old scar across her wrist, etched over with red and blue ink.  
  
"One of the guys that came here, Liam, was there one night. Got between a fight me and my boyfriend were having, all because I got promoted in my work for Aria and he didn't like it. Honestly? I owe my life to Liam." She chewed her bottom lip, about to teeth a hole into it. "He got me off of Omega and I lived with him for awhile, 'til I got news my mom was doing really bad and I went home to take care of her." _Leave out your dad's AI work, please._  
  
"I didn't want to come here." She started, eyes laser focused at a spot on the table, voice heavy with emotion. Her fingers tapped the table, growing harder and faster by the second. She could feel herself slowly unraveling. "I didn't want to leave." She felt Sahuna's hand reach out and cover hers, stilling her tapping and taking her fingers in hers. "But my mom died and my family was going, and then Liam was going, and I... I didn't want to be alone, again." Tears, hot and heavy, started to roll down her cheeks. She sighed. "I'm sorry."  
  
Sahuna's hands reached up to wipe her tears, the girl's face burning in embarrassment. "Do not be sorry, my dear. Emotions are normal and it's alright to cry. You need to every once in awhile or else you will burst."  
  
"It's... Ironic. I'm sorry if I sound bitter, but I'm... Just that. Bitter." She said lamely. "I came here when I didn't even want to in the first place, only for my dad to die just as we make it and for me to inherit this stupid role I never wanted."  
  
"Fate works in mysterious ways, my dear." Her hand squeezed Kylie's. "If your mother hadn't died, you would not have come here in the first place. Then you would not have met Jaal, nor would you have saved so many planets and lives like you have now." She smiled. "You may not have wanted to come here, but we needed you to come."  
  
"I guess so."  
  
"It appears you two seem to be getting along very well," Jaal hummed, the two women jumping at the sound of his deep voice.  
  
"Uh... When did you get here, babe?" Kylie started, nervous to find out just how much he heard. She loves him, but she's not ready to tap that far into her dark place just yet. Sahuna caught her off guard, in that aspect.  
  
"When you said you didn't mean to sound bitter, but that you're bitter." He smiled. "You do tend to be very bitter, my love."  
  
"Oh, shush." She dismissively waved a hand at him, blowing him a raspberry. When she looked back at Sahuna, she found the woman nearly grinning from ear to ear. "What?"  
  
"You two are absolutely adorable." Sahuna beamed, taking Kylie's hands in hers and looking at Jaal. "I love her so much! She reminds me of me when I was younger, so... Full of life. You chose very well, my son."  
  
"Yes, I know."  
  
"And I absolutely love mom, Jaal!" Kylie declared right after her, looking at Jaal with wide eyes and a cocky, lopsided grin. "Guess you're stuck with me forever, now."  
  
He chuckled. "I would not mind that."  
  
"Me either!"


	2. bonus round: kylie realizing what lalani meant by 'everything'

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> thanks to hinataelyontoph for pointing out that sahuna showed everyone kylie's nudes lmao

Right after they left Jaal's house, she couldn't wipe the big, goofy, happy smile from her face. They held hands as they started the long trek back to the shuttle and Kylie kept replaying everything that had happened in her head, watching the ground, until -

_"Sahuna, Jaal's true mother, has shared everything he has sent about you with everyone."_

_"- has shared everything he sent you."_ Everything. Every... Thing. _Everything._ _Everything._

"Oh, _oh_ , oh my god, _Jaal_ ," Kylie nearly squealed, grabbing his wrist suddenly and halting to a stop, him immediately pausing his steps. " _Everything_. Your mom shared _everything_ you sent her about me with your family."

"Yes...?" He stared at her, puzzled.

" _Everything_." Her fingers pressed together and she tilted her hands at him. " _Everything_."

"Angara love to share. I am not surprised that she did, considering that everyone has been curious about you since your crash landing on Aya, my love." He smiled warmly at her, moving to pull her into a hug only for her to pull away. She tried to ignore the soft look of hurt that flashed across his face.

Kylie sighed. Hard. "Jaal, you're not getting it." She took his hand with one hand and swooped her free hand from one side to the other. "Everything, as in, _including my nudes_. I'm _dead_. I've literally died."

"You do not look dead to me. Are you hurt?" He eyed her cautiously, hands grabbing her shoulders to look her up and down with concern. When she just stared at him with narrowed angry eyes, he sighed. " _Idiom_."

She rolled her eyes.

"Angara are not as..." He hesitated, searching for the word. "Shy, I suppose, as humans are when it comes to those subjects. In our culture, it is viewed as a beautiful thing that should be shared, even with family."

"Okay, but now your entire family knows what I look like. _Naked_." Her hands came up to his shoulders and gave him a little shake for emphasis.

"Hhm. Yes, they do."

"Oookay. Does that bother you?"

Jaal paused. "If it bothers you, then it bothers me."

Kylie laughed breathlessly. "Alright, super cute caring boyfriend persona aside, does that, for real, bother you?"

He grumbled. "A little."

" _Just_ a little?"

"If it had just been my mother to see them, I would not have cared at all. Knowing that my family has seen them now and that it bothers you, I am bothered by such."

"I'm going to have nightmares about this. Oh, just kidding, it's _real life._ " She grumbled all the while he pulled her into a hug, her continuing her grumbling into his chest, the words muffled. "Where's that memory eraser from Men in Black when you need it?"

She felt his body tense. "Do I even want to know?"

"No."


End file.
